The House Directory

I bought a card globe pendant lampshade from Habitat about 4-5 years ago. Habitat no longer stock the product. Is there another company that does a similar product?

admin — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:54:35 +0000

Geoffrey Harris has an excellent range of smart yet simple lighting including design classics of the 50s and 60s.Pictured is the Bubble Lamp – Ball designed by George Nelson.

I live in a flat within a listed building in central London. The path to the front entrance to the building has original tiling leading to the front door. Most of the tiles are starting to chip away or fall apart and I would like to replace them. Can you point me in the right direction of a specialist?

admin — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:49:37 +0000

Johnson Tiles are specialists in geometric Victorian tiles, which are part of Britain’s heritage. They were used originally to adorn medieval churches and monasteries, but can also be found on front paths all over the country. You could also try Craven Dunnill Jackfield, who are expert at manufacturing hand made encaustic and geometric floor tiles and can match existing or create new patterns.

I’m looking for a leather upholstered wood framed desk chair for our study. Where can I find a good range?

admin — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:43:43 +0000

Leather Chairs of Bath specialise in this type of chair. Also consider chair specialists Reed & Rackstraw and Curtis Green who can cover any of their models in leather.

I am looking for someone to re-gild my mirror.

admin — Tue, 17 May 2011 12:49:46 +0000

There are two types of gilding used on mirrors: oil gilding using a type of glue based on linseed oil with gold leaf laid on with a gilder’s knife, tip and cushion; or water gilding, a more intricate process which consists of applying a series of coats of gesso, layers of bole ( a refined clay in a variety of colours), on top of which gold leaf is applied, then a protective coat of ormolu. You might wish to see samples of each type before you decide how you would like your mirror to be refinished. Specialists in gilding include the following companies: E & A Wates, Bourlet, Titian Studios.

What is a good method for cleaning lacquered walls? I have a small room painted with multiple layers of deep red high-gloss paint. It is starting to show fingerprints, but I am afraid to touch it for fear of ruining the finish!

admin — Tue, 17 May 2011 12:42:19 +0000

Here is some advice from an expert decorative painter, Alistair Erskine: ‘Try some genuine turpentine on a ’lint free’ polishing cloth, both available from Leyland Paints. This treatment should be benign, but always try a patch first.

My husband and I have just bought a large Victorian house and we would like to cover some of the walls with fabric. I’m not sure where we can find someone to do this. Would you have any ideas?

admin — Tue, 17 May 2011 12:38:28 +0000

The process you refer to is called fabric walling. The traditional method is to batten out the walls and stretch fabric over the battens, creating a cushioned effect. It is a popular technique in France. We have a section in our Curtains, Blinds & Soft Furnishings category dedicated to Fabric Walling specialists. One company with specialist expertise is Mille Couleurs. An alternative to this method is wallpapering with paper-backed fabric; De Gournay have a wonderful selection of paper-backed silks.

I was wondering if you could tell me where I could get a nice selection of coloured silk cord for some lamps that I would like to get rewired?

admin — Wed, 11 May 2011 13:22:10 +0000

Period Features supplies antique gold or brown three-core electrical cable (£5.50 a metre, and shown here) and Jim Lawrence has braided cable in black, brown, burgundy and green priced at 9p per cm.

I am searching for wholesalers for my ‘home classics’ company in Sweden, and looking for suppliers for antique and luxury consoles, side tables, porcelain and accessories.

admin — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:48:09 +0000

If a company has a ‘trade only’ symbol on its listing on our website, it’s a wholesaler. However, many companies sell to the trade and to retail clients.

We suggest you visit some UK trade shows to help you to track down companies which would be best for your new business. Shows we would recommend you visit include Top Drawer, Pulse and Decorex. Dates for all of these are listed on thehousedirectory.com .
If you do visit London, we also suggest you browse the showrooms at the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre and the shops along Lots Road. You could also visit the trade showrooms in The Old Imperial Laundry in Battersea.

I am trying to find reproduction Otto Wagner bentwood dining chairs. I believe the originals were made around 1900-10…

admin — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:39:03 +0000

Otto Wagner designed bentwood chairs for Thonet around the turn of the century. Take a look at Chaplins’ website, and their huge list of designers. If you link to Otto Wagner on this list, you will see some of the designs that are in current production.

And our reader replied: Perfect! I took a look at Chaplins (what a treasure-trove) and found they have a wide range of Thonet chairs. Although they don’t seem to have the exact design, even on the Thonet website, they do stock very similar ones which might well do the job. Thank you for your assistance and congratulations on a great website.

I am looking for a gentleman’s valet (clothes stand) for our guest room and wondered where I could purchase one. I am looking for something classical with a bit of a retro twist.

admin — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:13:01 +0000

Have you seen the Hudson Butler gentleman’s jacket stand made from metal, wood and mock croc leather from Mufti? Or their latest model, the Shikari suit stand which is hand-crafted from reclaimed Burmese teak and finished in a natural French polish?